<b>Perth Amboy</b>

Fishing for striped bass limited out by 9:15 a.m. on Raritan Bay on Wednesday on the <b>Vitamin Sea</b>, and the anglers caught and released more afterward, Capt. Frank wrote in an e-mail aboard that morning. “Good day clamming,” he wrote about today’s striper trip on the bay in another e-mail. The fish to 18 pounds were boated today. Trips fished for the bay’s stripers with clams, and too few bunker schooled the local bay for Frank to switch to fishing with chunked and livelined bunker, though he was sure bunker could catch. Trips will fish with the bunker this season. Though bunker were taking longer to school, that probably meant striper fishing would last longer this season. Outgoing tide seemed better for the fishing than incoming, because waters were slightly warmer than when incoming drew in cold ocean waters. Charters and open-boat trips are fishing, and telephone about the open trips. Vitamin Sea also fishes from Staten Island. “Get your dose of Vitamin Sea!”

<b>Keyport</b>

Mike Barsky’s charter tied into a good catch of 10 keeper striped bass to a 20-pound 40-incher Tuesday with <b>Papa’s Angels Charters</b>, Capt. Joe said. The trip fished “just on the outside,” Joe said, or on the ocean, with clams. Waters were 53 to 54 degrees, if he remembered, and the other anglers on the trip were Mike’s son Joseph, Joe Sr. and Joe Jr., and Neil Sr. with Anthony Jr. Trips are full today through Sunday aboard. Open-boat trips are available daily when no charter is booked, and call to climb aboard.

Though striped bass fishing was tougher on a charter aboard with John Ryan and two friends on Raritan Bay, they worked hard to catch, limiting out with <b>Andrea’s Toy Charters</b>, a report on Andrea’s Toy’s Web site said Tuesday. Four anglers on another charter wanted to fish the bay for stripers during an afternoon. They landed seven of the bass to 18 pounds, until winds came on, so they headed home, satisfied with the catch. One youngster on the trip pulled in his first-ever striper. A couple of family trips also sailed for stripers on the bay with Capt. Fred from Andrea’s Toy. On one, he and his three children limited out on the fish to 15 pounds in a half-hour, donating the stripers to a community food bank. The donation was the purpose of the trip, actually. On another, Fred’s wife’s cousin wanted to striper fish, and Fred took him and two friends. They limited out on the bass to 15 pounds in a half-hour, releasing another dozen. Andrea’s Toy, like every year, is fishing the bay for stripers until the migration of large ones piles down the coast off Point Pleasant Beach later this season. Then the boat, like each year, will be moved to there, to fish for them on the ocean, and to fish for other catches, from bottom fish to tuna offshore, the rest of the year.

<b>Atlantic Highlands</b>

Fishing was very good, said Jimmy from <b>Julian’s Bait & Tackle</b>. Striped bass were boated on Raritan Bay on clams, chunks of bunker and livelined bunker, and on the troll. Bluefish sometimes swam the bay. Both fish also roamed the rivers. Jimmy wasn’t asked about surf fishing on the bay, but both fish likely snapped there, too. Sandy Hook was reopened, six months after the hurricane, and a customer clammed 25 stripers from the ocean surf at the first parking lot there. Stripers were boated on the ocean on clams, and not much was heard about jigging the fish yet. If any were jigged, that was farther south on the ocean. Bottom-fishing plucked a few ling. All baits are stocked.

On the party boat <b>Fishermen</b>, striped bass fishing wasn’t as hot, Capt. Ron wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site, in the past two days as on the previous four. “Don’t get me wrong,” he said, “we got spoiled with the none-stop action and limits all around.” Now catches were back to <i>normal</i> fishing, where anglers had to actually work for them, he said. Smaller stripers swam more abundant. One angler landed nine legal-sized bass, keeping no more than his limit, and won the pool on Tuesday’s trip. Another angler asked when stripers will be bigger. If stripers 25 pounds aren’t big enough, “then I’m in the wrong business,” Ron said. Hell, he said, he’s happy when a customer “tosses a nice-eating, 28-incher in the cooler.” On night trips aboard, sometimes striper fishing was good, and other times was a pick. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 3:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays.

Striped bass fishing on a trip Monday was probably some of the better angling for them on the party boat <b>Atlantic Star</b>, Capt. Tom said. Only a few anglers jumped aboard in drizzly rain, and the fishing wasn’t crazy, “but you see a couple, then see a couple,” he said. The angling was better on some trips than others in past days, depending on conditions. But catches were pretty darn good on some. They were okay on others, but every trip caught the bass. Trips fished the ocean and Flynn’s Knoll, along with the fleet, or all fished those places. The boat was ducked into Flynn’s when southeast winds needed to be escaped. Trips were fortunate to be able to fish Flynn’s. Anglers aboard fished clams, and Tom did hear about stripers jigged, but to the east a bit.  Fewer people fished aboard Tuesday morning’s trip, and one angler cracked five stripers, keeping no more than his limit, and others bagged one. Winds came up on the afternoon trip, so the Knoll was fished. The angling wasn’t as good, but stripers were clocked. Wednesday morning’s trip returned to the ocean, and striper fishing wasn’t steady, but a couple of stripers would be caught, then anglers would wait, then a couple more would be caught, and anglers would wait. Then the boat would be moved, and a striper would be caught, then another, then maybe a throwback. The afternoon trip fished the Knoll, and fishing was similar. Then the boat was moved, and catches were a little better. Fishing seemed better on trips when conditions were better, and predicting whether morning or afternoon trips would fish better was impossible. Pool-winning stripers probably weighed 17 and 18 pounds, nothing exceptional, Tom said. A few stripers, not many, were 18 inches. Most throwbacks were only an inch or two under the 28-inch legal size. Only a few anglers joined trips in past days, but more of a crowd fished on Wednesday morning’s trip. The Atlantic Star is fishing for striped bass on two trips daily 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 6 p.m.

<b>Highlands</b>

Limits of striped bass continued for all charters, both morning and afternoon trips, the past few days on the <b>Hyper Striper</b>, Capt. Pete wrote in an e-mail. Stripers 10 to 18 pounds dominated, he said, and the larger stripers weighed in the mid 20 pounds. “Very good fishing,” he said.

With <b>Fisher Price Charters</b>, chunked and livelined bunker limited out on striped bass on Raritan Bay, Capt. Derek said. The fishing was very good, he said, and the bass averaged 15 to 20 pounds, “and the bigger ones …” he said, “… we’ve got one on now that’s about 28 pounds.” He spoke in a telephone call aboard Wednesday evening. Just a couple of bluefish were landed aboard during the week. Trips previously clammed the stripers. Dates are available for charters, and space is available on open-boat trips for stripers Monday, Wednesday and next Thursday. Call to climb aboard or to be kept informed about future open trips.

The boat was being dry-docked for maintenance, but a bottom-fishing trip pasted a few cod and blackfish, before blackfish season was closed Wednesday, with <b>Raritan Bay Charters</b>, Capt. Dave said. The anglers wanted to bottom fish, through striped bass fishing was great, and the cod, landed close to shore, were surprising. They were 24 to 28 inches, a surprising size, too. A trip Friday on Raritan Bay did a number on striped bass. The boat will be back in action soon, and open-boat trips are fishing daily when no charter is booked.

From <b>Twin Lights Marina</b>, Mike and Woody from Boonton clammed their limits of striped bass to 35 inches on Raritan Bay near Keyport on Friday, an e-mail from the marina said. On Saturday, Anthony and Lee trolled and rubber-shad-jigged their limits of stripers to 25 pounds, and Gary Topche’s crew on the Flash docked six keepers. Ed and Tony on Wednesday trolled and clammed their limits of stripers to 40 inches on the bay near Keansburg. They chummed with bunker when fishing clams. Bushels of fresh clams are available. Twin Lights includes a marina, including boat slips and rack space, a bait and tackle shop, ship supplies and a fuel dock.

<b>Belmar</b>

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/3:***</b> Striped bass “came to eat” on Thursday, Bob from <b>Fishermen’s Den</b> wrote in an e-mail. Boaters from Belmar walloped great catches. Two of the port’s party boats reported stripers to 30 pounds netted aboard, and said rubber shads caught better than metal. A private boater reported a trip that squashed six stripers 25 to 30 pounds on bunker snagged and livelined for bait. Surf anglers played good numbers of stripers, but small ones. Bluefish stormed the surf at Deal and were mugged all day. Winter flounder remained in Shark River, and plenty of out-of-season summer flounder also swam the river. Inexperienced anglers needed to be careful not to keep the wrong species.

<b>***Update, Friday, 5/3:***</b> Fishing limited out on striped bass by 11:30 a.m. today on the <b>Katie H</b>, Capt. Mike said. Then the anglers caught and released more a while. At first, the fish were clammed, and a couple of smaller stripers were cranked in. Then an equipment malfunction nixed anchoring, and the trip got up on the troll. Mike was concerned clamming would’ve been better than trolling, but trolling hooked bigger stripers 15 to 20 pounds. Was a good day, he said, and seas were very sporty in the morning. The trip was almost called off but sailed, and seas calmed, weren’t bad, by mid-day.  The boat features all the amenities, so charters get comfort and speed.

Striped bass fishing was very good Tuesday on the party boat <b>Big Mohawk</b>, Capt. Chris said. No trip sailed Wednesday, and the boat had been blackfishing previously, but blackfishing season closed. Stripers started migrating up the coast, and quite a few were jigged. Trips aboard will jig them every chance possible, and will liveline bunker for the bass when possible. Trips will sail for sea bass when sea bass season opens later this month. The party boat Big Mohawk is fishing for striped bass 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

All anglers limited out on striped bass Tuesday on the party boat <b>Golden Eagle</b>, a report on the vessel’s Web site said. That included bonus-tag stripers, and everybody released throwbacks, and some let go additional keepers, after limiting. Striper fishing was good early in the day Wednesday, but the day’s trip couldn’t sail till late, because the drawbridge malfunctioned, keeping boats from heading to the ocean. The trip finally sailed at 9:30 a.m., but striper fishing was only a pick then. Still, several anglers limited out, including on bonus bass. The Golden Eagle is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Since Friday striped bass fishing produced, said Capt. Alan from the party boat <b>Miss Belmar Princess</b>. The angling was pretty good that day, and at first, trips aboard clammed the fish. Then a trip clammed and jigged them, and now, for the past three or four days, all were jigged. Wednesday’s trip only picked at the bass, and the angling wasn’t good, because the trip sailed late, because of problems with the drawbridge, keeping boats from reaching the ocean. Monday’s trip, with 15 anglers, limited out by 10:30 a.m., releasing plenty more afterward. A few bluefish, not many, were netted on trips. Two were taken Wednesday. The Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Starting this week, trips will also sail for stripers 4 to 10 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

<b>Brielle</b>

<b>***Update, Saturday, 5/4:***</b> Bottom-fishing at the Mudhole was “still producing” mostly big ling and a few cod and pollock on the party boat <b>Jamaica II</b>, Capt. Ryan wrote in an e-mail today. Pool-winners during the week included Mort Sandusky, South River, for an 18-pound pollock and Ed Grayson, Lincroft, for a 12-pound cod. This spring’s final Mudhole trips are slated for this Wednesday and the following Sunday and Wednesday, May 12 and 15. Fluke season will be opened Saturday, May 18, and a Special Fluke and Striped Bass Combo Trip will sail that day from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sea bass season will be opened the next day, Sunday, May 19, and sea bass trips are set for that day and Sunday, May 26, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The boat’s summer schedule will kick off on Tuesday, May 28, the day after Memorial Day, sailing for fluke and sea bass on two half-day trips at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and on a full-day trip at 7:30 a.m. Mondays. 

Striped bass fishing was excellent on the ocean Wednesday on the party boat <b>Big Jamaica</b>, an e-mail from the vessel said. The fish were jigged north of Manasquan Inlet, “(and) nice to see the fish closer to home now,” it said. An initial blast of the bass made the day early in the trip, it said. Customers continued to pick the fish afterward, and three to four were decked on each move. Most anglers limited out, and 5- and 10-ounce gold Krocodiles, 4-ounce yellow Run Offs, and Ava 47’s with yellow tails caught best. The fish ranged from throwbacks to 20 pounds, and the angling should improve daily, the e-mail said. The Jamaica is fishing for striped bass at 7:30 a.m. daily.

<b>Point Pleasant Beach</b>

The morning began slowly for striped bass fishing today on the party boat <b>Norma-K III</b>, Capt. Matt wrote in a report on the vessel’s Web site. But the catch ended up decent for the day, and quite a few anglers limited out on two stripers. Others bagged one, and a few “just could not get it going,” Matt said. The fish began to bite better from late morning to early afternoon, slamming Krocodile, Jersey Jay’s and gold jigs. A few smacked Ava jigs, but the others caught best. The Miss Norma-K III is fishing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Bottom-fishing was a little slow on the ocean on the party boat <b>Dauntless</b>, Capt. Butch said. Trips had caught blackfish, but blackfish season was closed on Wednesday. Ling catches were a little slow, and cod were slung in at times. Anglers averaged five to 10 fish apiece, and on a good day, some cracked 15. Trips fished shallow in 80 to 120 feet, and deeper was yet to produce catches. The blackfish had been targeted in 80 to 90, and a few ling bit there. More ling chomped deeper in that depth-range. Butch looks forward to sea bass fishing aboard when sea bass season opens. A few sea bass were hooked and released when the boat blackfished. Probably three dozen sea bass were released one day, but they were small, and six or eight were keeper-sized. Water temperatures varied day-to-day. Sometimes waters were 41 to 44 degrees, and other times reached 48 to 49. The ocean close to shore reached 50 to 51 degrees on a couple of afternoons. Bluefish sometimes swam the ocean surface, staying up for warmth, and were sluggish from the cold. One was hooked aboard but got off. Striped bass were apparently seen a couple of times, because larger fish were spotted along the surface. They swam up there for warmth, too. The boat’s nighttime bluefish trips usually begin on Memorial Day weekend, sailing Fridays and Saturdays at first, and daily toward mid June or when schools let out. The Dauntless is bottom-fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

<b>Toms River</b>

Barnegat Bay gave up very good fishing for small striped bass at night toward Route 37 Bridge and the barrier island, said Dennis from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b>. Clams and bunker caught, and bluefish were mixed in. Not a ton of blues schooled the bay, and not a lot of bunker were seen in the waters. When more blues arrive, they’ll corral the bunker, and more of the baitfish will be seen. A couple of kayakers trolled small stripers along the bridge at night on plugs. During daytime they fought blues. On Toms River, small stripers were clammed at night, and blues were chunked, at Island Heights. Blues schooled the bay farther south off Oyster Creek, the warm-water discharge from Forked River power plant. Weakfish were hooked around there. A mixed bag of fish bit now. More beaches were opened since the hurricane, including at Lavallette, so surf-fishing participation picked up. Parts of Island Beach State Park and Seaside Park were already opened. Surf-casters beached stripers, lots of throwbacks. Keepers were just legal-sized, and a big bluefish was occasionally slammed from shore. Surf anglers fished clams and bunker. In the back waters, crabbing became better and better, and wasn’t great, but a few were trapped in pots. Fresh clams, fresh bunker and eels are stocked, and bloodworms will arrive for the weekend.

<b>Seaside Heights</b>

From the surf, throwback striped bass and sometimes keepers were beached on clams and bunker, said Mario from <b>The Dock Outfitters</b>. Lots of throwbacks were around, he added. A few bluefish were supposedly yanked from the surf. Bluefish schooled Barnegat Bay, including behind the shop, and were bunker-chunked. “It’s a wait and bait game,” he said. Not much was heard about weakfish from the bay. The full supply of fresh baits is stocked, including clams, bunker, sandworms and bloodworms. The variety of frozen baits is on hand. The Dock Outfitters features bait and tackle, docks to fish and crab from, once the docks are repaired since the hurricane, and, in season, boat and jet ski rentals. The boats and skis usually become available starting Memorial Day weekend. If they’ll be available earlier, that’ll be announced on the store’s Web site. The end of June is the target date to complete the crabbing pier’s rebuilding.

<b>Forked River</b>

Boaters the past couple of days said striped bass fishing was good on Barnegat Bay along the sod banks and at Double Creek Channel, said Kyle from <b>Grizz’s Forked River Bait & Tackle</b>. They anchored and clammed for the fish, and bluefish were trolled on the bay between BI and BB markers and were beaten on metal, like off Oyster Creek, the warm-water discharge from Forked River power plant. A few weakfish seemed around in the bay, but not much was heard about them. The bay’s winter flounder fishing slowed compared with before, but customers sometimes reported catching them. Fresh clams, bloodworms and sandworms are stocked.

<b>Barnegat Light</b>

Birds worked bait along the waters at Barnegat Inlet today, said Vince Jr. from <b>Bobbie’s Boat Rentals</b>. Maybe striped bass swam underneath. A few boaters began trying for stripers along the ocean. But waters were cold, so the fishing was yet to take off, and fewer boaters than usual began looking this time of year. Lots of bluefish swam, mostly in Barnegat Bay. Bunker schooled around. No so much was heard about weakfish from the bay. Blackfishing had been good along the inlet jetties, but the season for them was closed Wednesday. Fresh clams and frozen baits are stocked. A few of the shop’s rental boats are available, and more are being made available each day. Bobbie’s includes boat and kayak rentals, a fuel dock and a complete bait and tackle shop. The shop is known for baits during the fishing season, like live grass shrimp, spots and nearly everything.

<b>Surf City</b>

A fairly good number of throwback striped bass, and sometimes keepers, were banked from the surf, said Richard from <b>Surf City Bait & Tackle</b>. Clams sacked them, and so did fresh bunker, when the menhaden was stocked during the weekend. Bloodworms also caught. Bluefish to 10 pounds were wrestled from the surf on bunker. Drum to 30 pounds were hauled from Barnegat Inlet the other day, and a big drum was clammed at the Causeway Bridge in the past day or so. Fresh clams and bloodworms are stocked, and fresh bunker will arrive Friday.  When the season gets rolling, keep up with the news in <a href="http://www.surfcitybaitandtackle.com/" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s fishing reports</a> on the shop’s Web site. Keep in touch on <a href=" http://www.facebook.com/pages/Surf-City-Bait-and-Tackle/207533229268619
" target="_blank">Surf City Bait & Tackle’s Facebook page</a>.

<b>Mystic Island</b>

We’re lucky, Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b> said, because bluefish, striped bass and drum swam local waters like you wouldn’t believe. Bluefish schooled everywhere, and once blues arrive, striped bass fishing always drops off at Graveling Point, the shore-angling spot at the confluence of Great Bay and Mullica River. But a few stripers remained at Graveling, and lots more were keepers than before, and stripers held at plenty of other places. They were boated at Grassy Channel on the bay, Little Egg Inlet and Tuckerton Bay. Boaters at the inlet had to fight through sharks and skates for stripers, but caught them. Clams were mostly fished for the bass everywhere, but anglers who wanted to fish bloodworms, did. Frozen mackerel were fished for the blues, weighing 1 ½ pounds to 8 or 10. No fresh bunker was available for blues. The drum inhaled clams, and occasional ones came in from Graveling and Grassy. Been a good season for drum, and the boomers weighed 18 pounds to 50 the past couple of weeks.  East winds this week dropped water temperatures, but that would only prolong catches. Fishing was best in evenings and at sundown lately. Crabs had barely begun to be trapped, but colder waters surely dropped off catches. Fresh, shucked clams, bloodworms and frozen mackerel are stocked. Freshwater from rains made netting grass shrimp difficult for Scott, but he netted some to stock live. The shrimp ran out this morning, and would likely run out by the end of today, so keeping up with demand was challenging. Minnows disappeared to catch in the colder waters.

<b>Absecon</b>

The year’s first keeper striped bass was slugged on a charter Monday with Capt. Dave from <b>Absecon Bay Sportsman Center</b>, he said. East winds didn’t help striper fishing recently, and today was the first day with calm weather this week. But the trip, with Ed Mangino’s group, motored to Absecon Bay, drifting while livelining eels and casting jigs. A couple of throwback stripers hit. Then the trip moved to Great Bay, anchoring along the Inland Waterway, chunking clams and bunker. The keeper, a 30- or 32-inch striper, was bagged, and then bluefish moved in. Blues grabbed the bait on nearly every cast, until bait ran out. A couple of the blues were larger than 10 pounds, and the rest weighed 3 to 6 pounds. The blues refused jigs, only biting bait, apparently because of cold waters. More good news was that live spots were stocked at the store this week, and should continue to be. A supplier who kept them over winter in Virginia made them available. Dave headed out to try livelining the baitfish on Tuesday, but winds blew too strongly. Waters at the Brigantine Bridge were 42 degrees on the trip. Dave’s charters will fish the live bait now, his preferred way. His charters used to fish with live herring in spring, until herring became prohibited recently. Waters were probably cold for the best striper fishing locally, but that could mean fishing for them will last longer this season, Dave hopes. The angling is probably about ready to pop, he thinks. Surf anglers who were able to hold bottom in the winds still caught stripers. Striper fishing on rivers like the Mullica “keeps going,” Dave said. He heard about no large numbers, and no large stripers, but stripers were landed on rivers. White perch fishing was improving on brackish rivers like that. They probably finished spawning and were moving “to their feeding areas,” Dave said.  A few perch, none giant, were weighed in, so there was plenty of chance to place in the store’s perch tournament, running until May 12, Mother’s Day. Dave had mentioned weakfish caught in local bays in a previous report, but not a lot of anglers fished in the winds this week, so little was heard about weaks recently. But one angler telephoned from a trip on Delaware Bay this week, saying he was into solid catches of weaks to 6 pounds. The angler called to ask whether weaks could be kept. One weakfish per angler daily is the bag limit, but weaks seemed to be working their way north, and the population seemed like weakfishing would be good locally later this year, even if only one could be kept. In addition to live spots, fresh clams are stocked. Fresh bunker were unavailable in past days because of winds that kept bunker boats docked, but the menhaden is carried when available. Eels and all frozen baits are stocked.

<b>Brigantine</b>

Fish swarmed all over the surf, said Capt. Andy from <b>Riptide Bait & Tackle</b>. The angling was slow two days, but came back on now. Striped bass were clubbed, and lots of bluefish were tackled. Drum were in the mix, and kingfish and blowfish showed up, though the season was exceptionally early for them. Linda Davoli turned up a 7-pound weakfish today. Out-of-season blackfish gathered along jetties. Ray Filton’s 41-1/2-inch 25-pound striper, landed from the surf at Brigantine Hotel on clam, was the week’s biggest. The catch was mentioned in the last report. Boaters also caught, including Mike Skelly’s wife Chrissy, who reeled aboard her first-ever striped bass, while anchored on the bay, fishing with clam. The shop’s bounty was up to $1,450 for the angler who weighs in the season’s first striper 43 inches or larger from Brigantine’s surf. Filton, mentioned above, missed the prize by 1 ½ inches. Entry is $5, and anglers must enter 24 hours before the catch to win. The Fish for Life Tournament, benefitting South Jersey Cancer Fund, is under way through May 25, and entry, available at the shop, is $20. That includes a permit to beach-buggy Brigantine’s entire beach, when accompanied by a Brigantine permit. The Brigantine permit allows driving on limited areas, but the tournament permit opens up the whole beach.

<b>Atlantic City</b>

Anglers on foot pounded bluefish, striped bass, drum, kingfish and blowfish, said Noel from <b>One Stop Bait & Tackle</b>. They released blackfish, out-of-season since Wednesday. The blues and stripers swam abundant, and came from nearby Absecon Inlet, lined with jetties. The blues pounced on frozen mullet and mackerel and fresh bunker. The stripers swiped fresh clams and bloodworms. The kings and blowfish, showing up way early this season, began to appear the other day, and were nipped from the inlet and the ocean surf on bloodworms. Quite a few blowfish hovered around. The drum were hauled from the ocean surf on fresh clams. The blackfish snapped green crabs along the inlet jetties. Fishing’s definitely on, Noel said, and there was a good variety. Baits stocked include fresh clams, bloodworms, eels, minnows and green crabs. The crabs will continue to be carried, though blackfish season is closed. Frozen baits include mullet, whole and filleted mackerel, different parts of clam, herring, peanut bunker, spearing and Pro Cut squid.

<b>Ocean City</b>

Bluefish, and a few striped bass mixed in, were boated from Corson’s Inlet on Wednesday afternoon and night, said John from <b>Fin-Atics</b>. The blues, mostly cocktails but a few bigger, chopped lots of soft-plastic lures in half, but some were also caught. Winds made the surf unfishable the past few days, but previously surf casters sometimes clammed stripers. Boaters exploring the bay for out-of-season summer flounder found lots, releasing them. Nothing was heard about weakfish. Anglers fishing Great Egg Harbor River sounded pleased with white perch fishing, and schoolie striped bass sometimes jumped on their baits. A large striper half-spooled one perch angler’s reel, before breaking off, along the river. Fresh clams and bloodworms are stocked, and fresh bunker are hoped to be stocked for the weekend.

<b>Sea Isle City</b>

Fish jumped in the boat! said Mike from <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. He said that last week, too. But in all reality, he said, fishing was pretty good, and was probably the best last weekend since he owned the shop. Conditions including westerly winds were right for fishing the surf then, and beach anglers, on both the ocean and inlets, whacked striped bass, drum, bluefish, kingfish and blowfish. That’s a whole lot to fish for, he said. The season was exceptionally early for kings and blows, but the fish showed up. A tremendous population of out-of-season summer flounder filled the back bay. One angler caught and released 12, and eight were keeper-sized, a high percentage in the large size that’s legal. The fluke season will open in two Saturdays, May 18. Weakfish, including sizeable, were jigged in the bay on a variety of soft-plastic lures, like Bass Assassins, Fin-S Fish and Gulps. Stripers were hooked from the bay, usually a by-catch when anglers jigged for weaks. But a few chummed for the bay’s stripers with clams, grabbing none huge, but sometimes better-sized ones that way. Crabs were “moving,” Mike said, and no great catches were trapped yet. But a commercial crabber and recreationals talked about nabbing a few.  Fresh clams, bloodworms and all usual baits are stocked, and more are being carried for the season all the time.

Weakfish to 6 pounds and bluefish to 5 pounds were socked from the back bay aboard, said Capt. Joe Hughes from <b>Jersey Cape Guide Service</b>, affiliated with <b>Sea Isle Bait & Tackle</b>. The weaks were good-sized, and healthy numbers were landed. The blues were larger than usual, and their population was smaller than typical, but the fish were around. Out-of-season summer flounder to 6 ½ pounds were caught and released aboard on artificials, not bait, on the bay. Fishing for them was great, and anglers should book if they want to bag the fluke once the season for them is opened May 18. The shallow, relatively warm bay attracts the flatfish in the early season. The flounder and all the fish were hooked on soft-plastic lures on leadhead jigs. Joe fishes them slowly along bottom in cold waters in the early season. He said in a previous report that the bite was subtle in the cold, but if anglers kept attentive, they caught. Weather didn’t make fishing easier in past days. Winds that dirtied waters made angling tougher on Tuesday evening. But fishing turned on again on Wednesday. Striped bass could be pulled from the bay, but Joe concentrated on the other fish. His trips also fish for them with the plastics or flies. Take an afternoon, after-work trip, a great time for the fishing this season. Warmer waters in afternoons can be good for the angling, and few if any other boats are around. Surf fishing for striped bass was good, Joe heard. Very unusually, lots of blowfish were reported from the surf. The season was early for them. Keep up with Joe’s fishing on <a href="http://captainjoehughes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jersey Cape’s blog</a>.

<b>Wildwood</b>

Fred from <b>No Bones Bait & Tackle</b> was going to send a few fish photos to post on this site, he said. One showed a 34-pound striped bass weighed in from the surf. Another showed a 25-pound drum from the surf, and another pictured a cod from a bunch boated on a trip 30 miles offshore Saturday. The surf fish were clammed, and surf anglers lately caught at North Wildwood. Fred fished there Monday and Tuesday evenings, tugging in 12- and 14-inch stripers on clams. Occasional drum came from the surf, and more were heaved in last week. More stripers were landed this week. “But that’ll ebb and flow,” he said. The back bay at the dock was 58 to 62 degrees, and is always colder in the bay proper. But no stripers really bit in the bay yet this season. When the angling takes off, boaters will chum with clam bellies and fish with the clams for them. Plenty of out-of-season summer flounder blanketed the bay, and flounder season will open on May 18. Rumors said weakfish swam the bay, but Fred always says he won’t believe rumors until he sees the fish. Rumors talked about a few bluefish around, including along the jetties at Cape May Inlet. But an angler who blackfished there every day, before blackfish season closed Wednesday, saw none. Blackfishing had been good at jetties for surf anglers and the ocean for boaters, depending on winds. Clams seemed better than green crabs for bait for them. Baits stocked include frozen quarts and pints of salted clams, bulk bags of clam bellies, mullet, herring, mackerel and all the usual. Fresh clams are carried when they become in demand. Minnows will be stocked when summer flounder season opens. The shop’s rental boats will be available in another week for the season.

<b>Cape May</b>

The season’s first drum trip is set to fish Delaware Bay on Saturday on the <b>Heavy Hitter</b>, Capt. George said. The most recent trips fished for blackfish during the weekend, limiting out, covered in the last report. Blackfish season closed Wednesday. Trips will sail for sea bass when sea bass season opens later this month. Call if interested in fishing for drum or sea bass.

Open-boat trips will steam for tilefish offshore Tuesday and next Thursday on the <b>Down Deep</b>, Capt. Mario said. Space is available, and charters will try for drum and striped bass on Delaware Bay from Saturday to Monday. A couple of drum were around recently, he said. “So we’ll see what happens,” he said. Sign up for the <a href=" http://www.downdeepsportfishing.com/ddsf/76-2/" target="_blank">Short Notice List</a> for special open-boat trips for drum, summer flounder and sea bass. Summer flounder and sea bass seasons will open later this month.

Trips blackfished through the weekend and Monday on the party boat <b>Porgy IV</b>, Capt. Paul said. The tautog were reeled aboard, and only 15 anglers joined Monday’s trip in rains, but almost all limited out. Though trips also caught Saturday and Sunday, Monday’s trip was easier to get anglers on a bite. That was because lots of small boats were anchored on wrecks for blackfishing during the weekend. That limited the Porgy IV’s maneuvering on wrecks. When larger crowds were aboard during the weekend, some areas of the boat might’ve caught, while others didn’t, because of maneuvering. A smaller crowd aboard, and fewer boats fishing, helped on Monday. Ralph DeAngelo from Hamburg, Pa., limited out on blackfish to a 10.61-pounder on the trip. Bud and John Callahan from Philadelphia were among the anglers who limited that day. No trip sailed Tuesday, the final day of blackfish season, because only seven anglers showed up at the docks in rains. The boat will be tied up now, won’t fish, until other fish bite, or other fishing season’s open. Striped bass were currently around, but only surf anglers seemed to hook enough. Sea bass and summer flounder seasons will open later this month, so trips might sail for them, if the fish are in. When the Porgy IV fishes, trips sail at 8 a.m. daily.

One angler, Ray Alkins from Washington Township, bagged two striped bass 37 and 36 inches from Delaware Bay’s surf on clams, said Nick from <b>Hands Too Bait & Tackle</b>. Ray saw another angler tackle a 41-incher, and plenty of anglers release throwbacks. Surf fishing was pretty good for striped bass there, and also on the ocean surf. Clams mostly caught, and also hooked occasional drum from the beach. But stripers could also be plugged along jetties, especially around Cape May Point. A few weakfish just began to be slid from the surf along the point’s jetties. Bloodworms, strips of squid or bucktails could be fished for them. A few bluefish reportedly swam the back bay, like at Avalon, but none was seen at the shop. Not many blues were around Cape May. Nothing was heard about out-of-season summer flounder. But flounder probably carpeted places like Grassy Sound, always holding plenty in the early season. The season for them will open on May 18. Delaware Bay boaters picked up a few stripers at the cove on clams, sometimes on bunker, when anglers could find bunker. A few small drum boated were heard about from the bay, and Nick hopes a bunch of boaters begin trying for the bay’s drum this weekend. They usually do around now. Blackfishing had been good along jetties and for ocean boaters, until the tautog season was closed Wednesday. Fresh clams and bloodworms are stocked, and fresh bunker are carried when available. Nick is trying to get them.

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